Category Archives: Asset Forfeiture

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Feb. 19, 2018) – A bill introduced in the Rhode Island House would reform the state’s asset forfeiture laws to prohibit the state from taking property without a criminal conviction. The legislation also takes on federal forfeiture programs by banning prosecutors from circumventing state laws by passing cases off to the feds in most situations.

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RICHMOND, Va. (Feb. 16, 2018) – Last Friday, the Virginia House approved a measure that would reform the state’s asset forfeiture laws, making it more difficult for police to seize property. But a loophole would allow prosecutors to circumvent the more stringent state law by passing cases to the federal government.

OLYMPIA, Wash. (Feb 15, 2018) – On Tuesday, the Washington House overwhelmingly passed a bill that would improve the state’s asset forfeiture laws and set the stage to close a loophole that allows state and local police to circumvent more strict state forfeiture laws by passing cases off to the feds.

OLYMPIA, Wash. (Jan. 29, 2018) – Last week, a Washington state House committee passed a bill that would improve the state’s asset forfeiture laws and set the stage to close a loophole that allows state and local police to circumvent more strict state forfeiture laws by passing cases off to the feds.

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COLUMBIA, S.C. (Dec. 21, 2017) – A bill prefiled in the South Carolina House would reform the state’s asset forfeiture laws to minimize the policing for profit motive and would partially close a loophole that allows state and local police to circumvent more strict state forfeiture laws by passing cases off to the feds.

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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Dec. 8, 2017) – A bill prefiled in the Missouri House would close a loophole in most situations that allows state and local police to circumvent stringent state asset forfeiture laws by passing cases off to the feds.

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On Tuesday, a new Arizona law reforming the state’s civil asset forfeiture process went into effect. The new law also takes on federal forfeiture programs by banning prosecutors from circumventing state laws by passing cases off to the feds.

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“While we’d like to see Colorado and every other state completely opt out of this federal program, an 80-85% reduction in seizures through this federal scheme will be a huge step forward to nullify it in practice and effect.”

A couple of weeks ago, at the behest of Jeff Sessions, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a directive meant to ramp up asset forfeiture across the country – even in states that require criminal convictions first. In this episode of Tenther Tuesday, Michael Boldin and Mike Maharrey talk about asset forfeiture, what the directive…